Economic stagnation is a leading issue for Japan, discussed ad nauseum in traditional media and in political dialogue. On social media and travel forums, stagnation manifests in the form of clichés and stereotypes, highlighted through moments captured in short-form videos and written in long-form posts. Beneath Tokyo’s glass towers and across its concrete sprawl, the spectacle of daily life is sometimes buried and lost, hidden in plain sight. In the most curious of paradoxes, it is when we dive deeper into its details that the world becomes more expansive. The challenge lies in uncovering fresh angles and insights that stand out amidst the vast yet uniform discourse across economics, culture, history, and art. Explore it over five nights, and bring an eye for details.

Various streets, alleyways, and rooftops in Kawagoe, Ginza, Minato, Shinjuku, and Chuo